Primary school children mostly happy and positive about learning, study finds

There were higher levels of bullying reported among younger class cohorts than older ones in the study, with the authors suggesting children may now be more comfortable in disclosing their experience of bullying. Picture: Danny Lawson/PA Wire

Primary school children usually feel happy and safe, but their positive emotions about themselves tend to decrease as they get older, particularly for girls.

That is according to the latest edition of a landmark longitudinal study into the experiences of primary school children, which also found their main sources of anxiety were friendship issues and worries about doing well in school, as the transition to secondary school looms.